How to Throw a Baseball
There are many different factors that come into play when you are learning to throw a baseball. Some of these factors are the grip of the baseball, the proper throwing position, the delivery of the throw, the follow through and other throwing mechanics. Learning to grip the baseball correctly is a key to throwing well. Grip the ball firmly but not tightly. You are not trying to choke the baseball. You want to place your thumb under the baseball and your forefinger and middle finger on top of the ball. Place the ball on the fingertips and not deep in the palm for greater accuracy and control when you throw.
Make sure your fingers and thumb are across the seams and not placed on the seams. This placement helps the ball stay on a straight path. As you get more experience, you will be able to throw with the seams to get additional movement on the ball. The proper throwing position requires you to square yourself to the target. If you are right-handed, you want your left shoulder pointed at the player who is going to catch the ball. The instep of your right foot should also be facing your target. Raise the ball to ear level. If you are left-handed, it should be done in the opposite manner.
Make sure your elbow is higher than your shoulder. You are now ready to throw the baseball. The delivery requires you to keep your eyes focused on your target as you begin the throwing process and keep them there throughout your delivery. Step with your front foot toward the target, beginning the transfer of your weight from back to front. As you step forward, bend your front knee and bring your arm forward. As your arm gets into an extended position, snap your wrist forward and release the ball. Your middle finger should be pointed directly at the target, allowing you to have greater accuracy and velocity on your throw.
The follow through is when you continue moving forward with your arm after the ball has been released. Bring your back leg around so it is slightly in front of your opposite leg. Your arm will continue to move, and you should bring it to a spot on the outside of your frame between your thigh and hip. Your upper body should be over your feet when you finish the throwing process. Never simply stop the throwing motion after you release the ball. That could cause shoulder and/or elbow injuries. Follow through fully after releasing the ball. You can throw a baseball without pitching it, but you can’t pitch a baseball without throwing it.
This emphasizes that pitching is all about defeating the batter. And throwing is a component of the pitching process. But throwing in itself does not constitute pitching. The difference between pitching mechanics and throwing mechanics. In reality, there should be no difference, but more often than not what is deemed as good pitching mechanics is more about defeating the batter than it is about throwing a baseball. Effective throwing is efficient use of the body to throw the baseball. Effective throwing is the least amount of wasted effort necessary to achieve the desired throwing result.
There are two primary components at work in throwing a baseball: strength and mechanics. The strength component can manifest itself in several ways. The good way is when the strength component works in conjunction with the mechanical component primarily in the form of maintaining what is called connection during a transfer of momentum from the larger body parts and the arm itself. One interesting aspect of throwing is that once the momentum has been drained out of the torso, the action of the arm is far more passive and active. The arm behaves more like a whip that has been driven by the body.
The negative aspect of arm strength is when the arm itself becomes the primary factory to throw the baseball. This can also be described as disconnection. A consequence of this disconnection forces the arm-shoulder complex to become more active than it should in terms of throwing a baseball. The player is trying to make up for the lack of efficient transfer of momentum by “muscling” the ball to the plate. So the main points of throwing a baseball is the grip of the baseball, the proper throwing position, the delivery of the throw, the follow through and other throwing mechanics.
